Turn-tilt unloading toy railway car



Dec. 10, 1946. 3, SMITH Re 22,817

TURN-TILT UNLOADING TOY RAILWAY CAR Original Filed May 28, 1940 3Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY Dec. 10, 1946. v R, G, s lfH Re 22,817

I TURN-TILT UNLOADI NG TO Y RAILWAY CAR Original Filed'May 28, 1940 I5Sheets-Sheet 2 -00 00.000000 'oflofcfofofo o ATTORNEY Dec. 10, 1946. R.G. SMITH" Re 22,817

TURN-TILT UNLOADING TOY RAILWAY GAR Original Filed May 28, 1940 5Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Reissuecl Dec. 10, 1946 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE Original No. 2,373,148, dated April 10, 1945, Serial No.337,625, May 28, 1940. Application for reissue August 14, 1946,Serial'No. 690,400

29 Claims. 1

This invention relates to toy railway cars and to appurtenancesassociated with both the car and the track on which it runs for carryingand delivering a toy freight load and particularly load objects capableof rolling, and still more particularly a load object in the form of atoy wheeled vehicle or toy automobile.

The appeal of toy railway set construction and operation as a hobby oras a mere plaything lies in the effectiveness and variety of ways inwhich the performance of toy parts can be made to simulate actual fullsize railroad operation. Yet for toy purposes the parts must besufficiently simple in construction and low in cost to make possible alarge quantity production that will reduce consumer price. The presentimprovements meet these objectives as to a toy freight handling railwaycar which is featured by realistic performance in automaticallytransporting and unloading therefrom a toy wheeled vehicle or other loadobject.

One object of the invention is to provide a toy railway flat car forcarrying a'toy automobile and which is equipped with means to constrainthe toy automobile against rolling on .its own wheels atop the fl'at'caras well as against lateral displacement on such car as the latter startsor stops or swerves in rounding curves in the track.

A further object is to equip the car with mechanism which will unloadthe toy automobile from the car by discharging it therefrom to aposition beside the track and this, if desired, while the car remainscoupled at both of its ends to adjoining cars in the toytrain.

A further object is to discharge the toy automobile or other toy freightload from the car in two stages of unloading action, the first stageconsisting of swinging the toy automobile about and away from its normallengthwise alignment with the railway car and into a position in whichthe length of the toy load vehicle extends crosswise of and overhangsthe railway car, and the second stage consisting in tilting the loadvehicle in such manner that it will roll off and down from the railwaycar preferably but not necessarily by the force of gravity alone.

A further object is toprovide mechanism for the foregoing purpose whoseparts will automatically restore themselves to their normal loadcarrying positions after having acted as described to discharge the toyload.

A further object is to equip the unloading car with electricallyactuated means for automatically upon occasion discharging the toy loadvehicle from the toy railway car through trackside sources of currentsupply from which electrical energy may be picked up by the railway caras the latter passes predetermined points along the track.

A further object is to provide electrical control means whereby theunloading mechanism carried by the railway car may be caused to performits unloading function independently of the electrictrack circuit whichsupplies current for run-- ning the train, so that unloading action cantake place either while the railway car is running along its track orwhen the car stands stationary on the track.

Ample examples of ways and means for attaining the foregoing and otherobjects will become clear from the following description, in whichdescription reference is had to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a section of toy railway track with anunloading car illustrative of the present invention standing thereondetached from its train and shown in the act of discharging a toy loadvehicle.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a portion of the length of'therailwaycar inFig. 1 showing an elongated turn-tilt table for supporting anddischarging a load having its longest dimension normally disposedlengthwise of the car.

Fig. 3 is a view taken in section on the plane 3.3-i'n Fig. 2 looking inthe direction of the arrows.

Fig. 4 is a view taken in section on the planes 4-4 in 'Fig. 2 lookingin the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 5 is a view taken in section on the plane 55 in Fig. 2 looking inthe direction of the arrows and showing the turn-tilt table shifted toload discharging positions crosswise of the car and also showing thetrack structure.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view drawn on an enlarged scale showing theswiveling fulcrum bracket detached from the other parts.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view drawn on an enlarged scale looking upwardat the bottom of the car'platform and showing certain parts in sectionon theplan'e 'l! in Fig. 3, the fulcrum bracket being positioned todispose the length of the turn-tilt table lengthwise of the carplatform.

' Fig. 8 ma view similar to Fig. 7 showing the fulcrumbracket swung aquarter turn to position the turn-tilt table as in Figs. 1 and 5..

Fig. 9 is'an enlarged view of the fourth rail and associated trackstructure looking from the left at Fig. 5 from the section plane 99.

Fig. 10 is a view taken in section on the plane ||l||l in Fig. 9 lookingin the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 11 is a diagram of electric circuits for supplying current topropel the train and independently to operate the unloading mechanism.

The toy railway car embodying the present improvements is indicated as"a whole by I in Fig. 1. Whereas for simplicity its coupling parts ordraft gear and the adjoining cars of its train are not shown it will beunderstood that such may be of conventional form, the wheels of the carsand locomotive of the train riding on the two outside or traction railsH and I2 which are supported by, and may be in electrical contact with,the sleepers |3 as usual. The middle or third or power rail I4 supplieselectric current to be picked up by the trolley or collector shoe of thetoy locomotive and hence is insulated from the sleepers I3 and fromtraction rails II and I2 in any suitable manner as at l5.

Car l9 rolls on its usual form of toy traction wheels l6 whose axlessupport spaced trucks l1. The flat platform I'9 of the car chassis restspivotally on each of the trucks I1 in usual manner and as illustratedherein includes a top deck 20 which afiords therebelow a shallow space2| 0ccupied by certain parts of the unloading mechanism.

The unloading mechanism consists mainly of three principal unitsincluding an elongated runway type of tum-tilt table 22 hinged on afulcrum base, here shown in the form of bracket 23, by means of thepivot pin 24. This fulcrum bracket rests on top of the deck 20 of theplatform I! and swivels in relation thereto. The third main unit of theunloading mechanism comprises electromagnetic actuating means locatedunder the car and designated as a whole by 21.

-Full details of the U-shaped fulcrum bracket 23 are best shown in Fig.6 where it is seen to consist of a bed wall 28 from either side of whichupstands the spaced and tapering head walls 29 containing in their lowends the holes 30 for pivot pin 24 affording a pivot bearing and intheir high ends the detent notches 3| opening upward. A part of one headwall 29 is diverted horizontally to form a fiat continuation of the bedwall 28 thereby affording a lug 35 containing the pivot hole 36 ofisetconsiderably from the longitudinal center line of the bracket. Anotherpart of the head wall section of the bracket is turned downward insteadof upward to form the tongue 31 by means of which the fulcrum bracket 23is actuated.

As best shown in Figs. 2, 7 and 8, the lug 35 of fulcrum bracket 23 isconnected by a pivot stud 38 to the deck 20 of car platform IS in amanner permitting the fulcrum bracket to swivel freely from its normalposition shown in Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 7 to its unloading positioncrosswise of the car shown in Figs, and 8, and by broken lines in Fig.2. This swiveling movement of the fulcrum bracket is limited to 90degrees of swing by .the engagement of the actuating tongue 31 ofbracket 23 with stop means herein afforded by 4 electromagneticallyoperated actuator. This solenoid is rigidly mounted against the undersurface of the platform deck 20 by means of one or more angle brackets46 whose fastening rivets 41 are prevented from projecting above the topsurface of deck 20 because occupying a slightly sunken or depressedpanel space 49. A coiled spring 49 loosely surrounds plunger 44 andconstantly exerts a thrust tending to withdraw .the plunger from thesolenoid toward its position shown in Figs. 3 and 7. When electricallyenergized, the strength of pull of the solenoid upon the plungerovercomes the expansive tension in spring 49 and draws magnet plunger 44inward thus shifting its carried cam plate 43 to the position shown inFig. 8. Pivotal bearing pin 24 forms part of what I may appropriatelyterm a hinge joint while pivot stud 38 may be regarded as forming partof a swivel joint,

In the cooperative action of cam plate 43 and tongue 31 it will beunderstood that the cam plate moves in a straight path of travel whilethe tongue must move in an arcuate path. In the normal relationship ofthis tongue and cam plate shown in Fig. 7, the tongue 31 occupies anotch 5| forming a branch of the main aperture 52 in the cam plate.Starting with the relationship of parts shown in full lines in Fi '7, itwill be seen that the fulcrum bracket 23 is locked against movementbecause tongue 31 is lodged in notch 5| until the cam plate 43 hascompleted a preliminary movement toward the right. Until this hasoccurred no movement of tongue 31 (in a direction toward the plunger 44as required by the tongues arcuate path of travel) can take place.Nevertheless the lodging of tongue 31 within notch 5| in no wayrestrains cam plate 43 from moving toward the right when the solenoid 45is electrically energized. The beginning .of the cam plate movementtoward the right will shift the cam plate aperture 52 and its branchnotch 5| into the broken line position indicated in Fig. 7. At thispoint tongue 31 has become freed from notch 5| so that continuedmovement of. cam plate 43 toward the right results in the left edge 53of aperture 52 picking up and impelling tongue 31 to the full lineposition of parts shown in Fig. 8.

In the reverse movement of the cam plate from right to left in Fig. 8,the first portion of the corresponding travel of aperture 52 constituteslost motion relative to tongue 31, but thereafter the right edge 54 ofaperture 52 picks up and impels tongue 31 ahead of it toward the left,this tongue gradually swinging counterclockwise in Fig. 8 to its brokenline position in the latter figure wherein the edge of tongue 31 isnearly disposed to be received again into the notch 52 which again willthen cause the tongue to become locked against movement other than bysubsequent actuation through plunger 34, as represented by full lines inFig. 7.

In the position, of fulcrum bracket 23 as shown in Figs. 1, 5, 8 and bybroken lines in Fig. 2, the pivot pin 24 is swung to a position bestshown in Fig. 5 which is nearly at the side edge of the platform deck2|) of the car so that the right end of theturn-tilt table 22, which inFigs. 3, 4 and '7 rests upon and is prevented from tilting downward bythe platform deck 20, now overhangs and is free from restraint by theplatform edge when in its broken line position in Fig. 5 so that it maytilt downward to its full line position shown in Fig. 5. In the absenceof a load thereon, table 22 will not tilt downward away from itshorizontal position because the load delivering end of the tablecontains a large aperture 56 which so much reduces the weight of thisendof the table that the other end 51 at the opposite side of pivot pin 24is the heavier. This preponderance of weight of the table end-51 isnormally supported by the platform deckn causing the table tomaintainits broken line position in Fig. 5. But if a heavy enough loadis carried by the table 22 in such manner that the center of gravity ofthe .load falls on the load delivering side of pivot 26, a turningmoment may thereby be set up causing the table to tilt clockwise intoits full line position in Fig. '5 because the preponderance of weight isthen on the load delivering end of the table. An inclined chute is thusprovided by the tilted table off from which the load may slide or roll.

In Fig. 1 the load object is indicated to consist of a toy wheeledvehicle 59 having two rear wheels, as 50, and two front wheels, as GI.The rear wheels in the usual manner of a toy vehicle are connected by anaxle 52 which may be lodged loosely and removably within the detentnotches 3| of the fulcrum bracket 23. This so positions the toy loadvehicle on the turn-tilt table '22 that the center of gravity of thelatter falls on the load delivering end of the table which containsaperture 56 so that this end of the table plus its share of the loadbecomes heavier than the opposite end5l of the table plus its share ofthe load, if any, with respect to the fulcrum pivot 24. Hence, thedescribed dispositioning of the weight of the load vehicle can cause thetable 22 to tilt from its broken line position in 5 to its full lineposition in Fig. 5 by gravity elfect alone, whereupon the vehicle :axle62 is swung upward out of and free from the'deten't notches 3| enablingthe vehicle to roll down and off from the table.. To provide guide railsor gangway tracks to direct the load vehicle lengthwise of the table 20.the latter is formed into a runway by upturned edge fianges'63 and withsimilarly upturned inner flanges 64 which receive the fulcrum pivot pin24 and provide a smooth bearing thrust against the sides of fulcrumbracket 23. These flanges make of the turn-tilt table 22 a chutelikeload receptacle or dump body which is connected to the car chassis bythe swivel joint at 3B and by the hinge joint at 24.

A conductive circuit by which-solenoid 45 is furnished with electriccurrent for pulling plunger 44 from its position in Fig. '7 to itsposition in Fig. 8 includes the grounding of oneend of the solenoidwinding to the metallic car platform at 65 by means of the lead 51,while the other end of the same solenoid winding terminates in a leadwire which is soldered or conductively secured otherwise tov a metallicanchor member 69 on each side of the car. Member 69 is fixed by a rivet10 to the stiff side plate 'Il made of insulative material. One end of afine close wound coil 12 of springy electrical conductive wire fitstightly over the laterally extending finger 13 of each anchormember andis securely held thereby thus forming a very fiexible cat's whisker theouter free end of which constitutes a current collector shoe capable ofriding yieldingly and lightly into engagement with the top edge of afourth rail 15. The latter comprises an angle strip spanning and heldfixedly on the top of the ends of two or more of the track sleepers l3by rivets I6 and is insulated therefrom by separators H.

' A desirable arrangement of circuit connections andcontrolinstrumentalities for operating this improved toy is shown in Fig. '11wherein 10 represents a variable transformer capable .of stepping downa'home current supply line of 110 volts to a toy output range of, say, 7to '15 volts. In the transformer here indicated a potential of 15 voltsmay be constantly delivered across binding-post 83 and 82 while thepotential acrossbinding posts 82 and 8| can be modulated between 7%volts and 15 volts by turning the voltage regulating knob 84. A lineconnects binding post 8| with the third rail [4 of the track from whichdriving power is derived by the electric locomotive of the toy train. Aline connects binding post 83 with the fourth rail 15, and this line isinterruptible by a manually operable switch 81. A line 88connects-binding post 82 with either or both of the traction rails H or[2.

In operation a train containing the unloading car I!) may be run overthe tracks of any desired toy railway lay-out at speeds determined bythe voltage regulating knob 84 of the transformer which will vary thepotential between transformer terminals 8|-8-2 and thereby between railsI2 and I4 without of necessity changin the potential of 15 volts alwaysavailable to rails I4 and 15 from transformer terminals 83- 82 throughthe manual switch 81. The car 10, whose chassis including platform l9carries the vehicle 59 positioned thereon as in Fig.3, may be unloadedby the action indicated in Fig. '1 when its current pick-up shoe, orcats whisker 12, is in contact with fourth rail 15 if switch 81 then beclosed. This will establish a 15 volt circuit, traceable from 83 through86, 81, 12, 68, the car carried solenoid 45, 61 and then the carplatform, truck and wheels to traction rail 1 2 and thence back to thetransformer terminal 82 through the-lead 88. Upon thus beingelectrically energized, solenoid 45 draws into itself the magneticplunger 44 which by movement from its position'in-Fig; 7 toits'po'sition in-Fig.8 causes thecam plate 43 to swing the fulcrumbracket 23 and with it the turn-tilt table 22 a quarter turn frompositions shown in Figs. 2, 3, 4 and '7 topositions shown in Figs. 5 and8. Thereupon the weight of the toy load vehicle 59becomes offset withrespect to the edge of the car and tilts table 22 from its broken lineposition in Fig. '5 to its full line position in Figs. 1 and 5,whereupon the load vehicle rolls down and off from the turn-tilt tableat the side of the track. Upon being relieved of the weight of the loadvehicle, the heavier end 51 of the turn-tilt table restores the latterto its brokenline position in Fig. 5 whereupon if solenoid 45 isdeenergized spring 4!! acts through cam plate 43 to swing the table 22back into longitudinal alignment with the platform of the railway car asshown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4 ready to receive, transport and laterdischarge another toy load when placed thereon. Asa current pick-up shoesuch as 12 is provided at both sides of the car, the fourth rail'l5 maybe placed on either side of the track. This and many other modificationsare possible and will be suggested by the teachings of this disclosure,it being understood that load objects other than a wheeled vehicle andwhether capable or incapable of rolling may be discharged from aturnt-ilt table by such means 'as-are here'in'provided so long as theirweight can be swung about to a position-sufliciently overhanging theedge of the car with respect to the fulcrum pivot 24. Where this is notthe case, means for forcibly causing 7 the turn-tilt table. to assumeits inclined position may be provided if desired.- The car deck 20 isrepresentative of any platform with respect to which the movable partsmay function as herein taught.

Certain of the features of the invention described in the foregoing areclaimed in my copending divisional applications, Serial No. 461,- 947,filed October 14, 1942, and Serial No. 492,433, filed June 26, 1943.

The folowing claims are directed to and are intended to cover allsubstitutes and equivalents of the parts which are herein shown merelyto illustrate the'principles of the invention.

I claim:

l. A toyrailway car for transporting along a toy track a toy loadvehicle having wheels and a wheel axle and for discharging said vehicleat the side of the track, including the combination of, a car chassis afulcrum bracket swiveled on said chassis for turning relatively theretoabout a vertical axis, and an elongated table carried by said chassisadapted to support said toy wheeled vehicle with its wheel axleextending crosswise of the car, said platform being pivotally connectedto said fulcrum bracket for tilting about a horizontal axis relative toboth said bracket and said chassis thereby to cause said vehicle to rolloff from said car at the side of the track, and said fulcrum bracketbeing constructed and arranged releasably to engage and hold said wheelaxle of the toy vehicle in a manner to prevent the latter from rollingalong said table on its own wheels except when said table is in tiltedposition relative to said bracket and chassis.

2. Mechanism for unloading a toy wheeled vehicle including incombination with platform terminating at an edge elevated above itssurroundings, a fulcrum bracket swiveled on said platform to be turnablerelative thereto about a vertical axis located near said edge of theplatform, an elongated table adapted to serve as a temporary rest forthe toy vehicle when placed thereon in a position to roll lengthwisethereof, detent means to prevent rolling of said vehicle along saidtable, and a fulcrum joint connecting-said bracket and table so thatsaid table swings with said bracket between a position in which thevehicle delivering end portion of the table overlies and rests on saidplatform to a position in which said table end portion overhangs saidedge of the platform, whereby said table end portion is deprived ofsupport by said platform and the weight of the toy vehicle resting uponsaid table end portion can cause said table automatically to tilt onsaid fulcrum joint relatively leases the said toy wheeled vehicle fromsaid detent means. V 1

.4. Mechanism for unloading a toy wheeled yehicle as defined in claim 2,in which the said detent means is carried by the said fulcrum bracketand is constructed and arranged to engage said vehicle restraininglywhil the center of gravity of the latter rests on the said vehicle discharging end portion of the said table and in such manner as to permitthe tilting of said table to lift the detent engaged portion of saidvehicle to a position free from restraining engagement by said detentmeans.

5. Mechanism for unloading a toy wheeled vehicle as defined in claim 2,in which the said detent means is carried by the said fulcrum bracketand is constructed and arranged restrainingly to engage a relativelylight portion of the length of said vehicle which rests on one side ofthe said fulcrum joint while a relatively heavier portion of the lengthof said vehicle rests on the said vehicle discharging end portion ofsaid table on the opposite side of said fulcrum joint, the engagementbetween said detent means and said lighter vehicle portion enabling thesaid tilting of the said table to be caused by the distribution ofweight of said vehicle with respect to said ful crum bracket and to liftsaid lighter vehicle portion to a position free from restraint by saiddetent means.

6. A toy railway car for transporting and discharging therefrom a toywheeled load vehicle, including the combination of, a car body having abare platform, a fulcrum bracket pivotally mounted on said platform andhaving a horizontally elongated head upstanding from said platformcontaining a detent notch near one end thereof, a pivot bearingsupported on said bracket head near the other end thereof, an elongatedrunway table fulcrumed on said pivot bearing atop said car platform andsupported by the latter against tilting about said bearing, said tableextending past said pivot bearing in both directions and straddling andflanking said fulcrum bracket in a manner to support two of the wheelsofa toy vehicle in positions spaced from said bearing in on direction andto support the remaining wheels of said vehicle in positions spaced fromsaid bearing in the opposite direction.

'7. A toy railway car as defined in claim 6, in which the said runwaytable is constructed and arranged to be lighter in weight in its portionon the vehicle discharging side of the said pivot bearing than it is onthe opposite side of said bearing, and the said detent notch opensupward out of the said fulcrum bracket head in a position to receive andto interlock with a projecting portion of the said toy load vehicle andhold the latter against rolling while positioned with its center ofgravity on said vehicle discharging side of the pivot bearing.

8. A toy railway car for conveying a toy wheeled load vehicle along atoy railway track and rolling said vehicle off from said car downward toa trackside level, including the combination of, a toy car chassishaving a side edge paralleling the rails of said track, a turn-tilttable carried by said chassis equipped with gangplank tracks supportingand guiding the wheels of said toy wheeled vehicle with the axis thereofextending crosswise of the car, swivel and hinge joints connecting saidtable to said chassis so cooperatively constructed and arranged thatsaid hinge joint enables said table at times to be tilted about ahorizontal axis relative to said chassis andsaid swivel joint enablessaid table together with said hinge joint to be swung about a verticalaxis relative to said chassis to and away from a position wherein saidhorizontal axis is substantially at and parallel with one side edge ofsaid chassis, and stop means constructed and arranged to arrestswiveling movement of said table when said hinge axis occupies its saidposition thereby to assure freedom for said table to tilt downward clearof said chassis to reach said trackside level.

9. A toy railway car for conveying a freight load along a toy railwaytrack and chuting said load oil" from said car to the trackside level,including the combination of, a car chassis having a side edgeparalleling the rails of said track, a turn-tilt chute-like dump-bodycarried by said chassis, swivel and hinge joints connecting said body tosaid chassis so cooperatively constructed and arranged that said hingejoint enables said body at times to be tilted about a horizontal axisrelative to said chassis and said swivel joint enables said bodytogether with said hinge joint to be swung about a vertical axisrelative to said chassis to and away from a position wherein saidhorizontal axis is substantially at and parallel with one side edge ofsaid chassis, and stop means constructed and arranged to arrestswiveling movement of said body when said hinge axis occupies its saidposition thereby to assure freedom for said body to .tilt downward clearof said chassis and chute said load to said trackside level.

10. A toy conveyance for transporting a toy load and then chuting saidload off from said conveyance to deliver it at a predetermined locationon ground level beside the conveyance, including the combination of, along and relatively narrow conveyance frame, a turn-tilt chute-like loadreceptacle carried on said frame comprising a table sufficiently long toreach from said frame to the ground level alignable lengthwise with saidframe and connected thereto in a manner to be swiveled to a positioncrosswise of said frame about a vertical axis located nearer the sideedge than the longitudinal center line of said frame,

and a joint between said table and said frame enabling the former to betiltable about a horizontal axis until one end thereof rests at saidground level when said table occupies its said swiveled position.

11. A toy conveyance for transporting a toy load and then chuting saidload off from said conveyance to deliver it at a predetermined locationon ground level beside the conveyance, including the combination of, along and relatively narrow conveyance frame, a turn-tilt chute-like loadreceptacle carried on said frame comprising a table sufficiently long toreach from said frame to the ground level alignable lengthwise with saidframe and connected thereto in a manner to be swiveled about a verticalaxis located nearer the side edge than the longitudinal center line ofsaid table to a position crosswise of said frame,

and a joint between said table and said frame enabling the former to betiltable about a horizontal axis until one end thereof rests at saidground level when said table occupies its said swiveled position.

12. A toy conveyance for transporting a toy load and then chuting saidload off from said conveyance to deliver it at a predetermined locationon ground level beside the conveyance, including the combination of, along and relatively narrow conveyance frame, a turn-tilt chute-like loadreceptacle carried on said frame comprising a table sufficiently long toreach from said frame to the ground level alignable lengthwise with saidframe and connected thereto in a manner to be swiveled to a positioncrosswise of said frame about a vertical axis located nearer to the sideedge than to the longitudinal center line of either said frame or saidtable, and a joint between said table and said frame enabling the formerto be tiltable about a horizontal axis until one end thereof rests atsaid ground level when said table charging said vehicle t the side ofsaid track,

including the combination of, a car chassis, an elongated turn-tilttable carried by said chassis adapted to support said toy wheeledvehicle thereupon with the wheel axis of the vehicle extending crosswiseof the car, and joint structure connecting said table to said chassis ina manner enabling the former to be turned relative to the latter about avertical axis for disposing the wheel axis of said vehicle lengthwise ofsaid car and also enabling said table to be tilted in relation to saidchassis about a horizontal axis for causing said vehicle to roll oftlfrom the car at the side of the track, together with detent meansconstructed and arranged to engage with the said toy wheeled loadvehicle to prevent it from rolling on the said table lengthwise of thecar, said detent means being so cooperatively related to said table thattilting of the latter about said horizontal axis disengages said vehiclefrom said detent means.

14. A toy conveyance adapted to travel for carrying a toy load in stableriding position thereon and adapted on occasion to dump said load fromsaid conveyance, including the combination with a conveyance frame, ofan elongated receptacle adapted to serve as a stable rest for a toy loadto be transported by said conveyance and dumped therefrom, jointaffording structure movably connecting said load receptacle to saidconveyance frame in such manner that the receptacle is turnable about avertical axis from a normal riding position on said frame to apredumping position crosswise of and overhanging said frame and is alsotiltable upon a horizontal axis from a relatively stable load-carryingposition on said frame to a relatively inclined load dumping position,said receptacle being normally biased with respect to said horizontalaxis to swing thereabout from its said load dumping position to its saidload carrying position automatically when freed from said load, andmeans to locate a load on said receptacle in a position wherein theweight of the load counteracts and may overcome said biasing of thereceptacle thereby to cause said receptacle to tilt and dump the loadautomatically when said receptacle occupies its said pre-dumpingposition.

15, A toy railway car comprising a wheeled chassis, said wheels beingflanged for operation on a toy track, a toy vehicle having regularwheels for land operation, a vehicle runway on top of said chassis anddimensioned to receive and support the wheels of the wheeled vehicle,means to incline the runway for discharge of said vehicle therefrom, andan upwardly projecting member dimensioned to receive a part of said toyvehicle and thereby to prevent longitudinal movement of the vehicle onthe runway when the runway is in horizontal position, said member beingdisengaged from the toy vehicle when the runway is moved to inclinedposition, thus permitting said vehicle to roll on its own wheels downthe inclined runway.

16. The combination of, a toy railway car neluding a wheeled chassisadapted to roll on a toy track, a smaller toy vehicle transportable onsaid railway car, a vehicle carrying elongated table on said chassishaving a vehicle discharging end, means to incline said table about anaxis extending crosswise of said table intermediate 11 its length sothat said table end can be lowered to the track level for dischargingsaid vehicle therefrom, a barrier constructed and arranged to restrainsaid vehicle against departure from said table in the direction of saidend thereof when said table is in horizontal position, said table andbarrier being cooperatively associated in a manner to render saidbarrier ineffective to restrain said vehicle when said table isinclined.

17. The combination of, a toy railway car including a wheeled chassis, asmaller toy vehicle transportable on said railway car, a vehiclecarrying table on said chassis, means to incline said table fordischarging said vehicle therefrom, an upwardly projecting member onsaid chassis shaped and arranged to engage a part of said vehicle in amanner to cause restraint of the latter against departure in at leastone direction from said table when said table is in horizontal position,said table and member being so cooperatively shaped and arranged thatsaid table may be inclined while said member remains stationary therebyto move said vehicle relatively to said stationary member in a directionto release said vehicle from restraint'by said member.

18. The combination of, a toy railway car including an elongated wheeledchassis, a smaller elongated toy vehicle transportable on said railwaycar, an elongated vehicle runway on top of said chassis extendingcrosswise thereof, means to incline said runway in a plane crosswise ofsaid chassis for discharging said vehicle therefrom, an upwardlyprojecting member on said chassis shaped and arranged to engage a partof said vehicle while the latter is longitudinally aligned with saidrunway in a manner to cause restraint of the vehicle against rolling1engthwise of said runway when said runway is in horizontal position,said runway and member being so shaped and cooperatively arranged thatinclining said runway tilts said vehicle and simultaneously frees thelatter from restraint by said member.

19. A toy railway car including a wheeled chassis whose wheels areflanged for operation on a toy track, a toy vehicle having regularwheels for land operation, a vehicle carrying table on top of saidchassis, means to incline said table so that one end thereof is loweredto the level of said track at the side of the latter for dischargingsaid vehicle from said table without overturning the former, a barriermovably anchored to said chassis and upstanding from the latter toengage a part of said vehicle in -a manner to restrain the latteragainst departure from said table when the latter is in horizontalposition, and common means operatively related to both said table andbarrier in a manner to cause said end of said table to be lowered tosaid track level and to free said vehicle from restraint by saidbarrier.

20. A'toy railway car for transporting and discharging therefrom a toyvehicle having 'at'least two wheels and an axle extending therebetween,including the combination of, a car body including a platform structure,a detent member pivotally mounted on and upstanding from said platformstructure containing a detent notch in its upper end portion, a pivotalbearing near one edge of said platform structure, and an elongatedrunway atop said car platform fulcrumed at said bearing and straddlingand flanking said detent member in amanner to support said two vehiclewheels in such position and alignment that said vehicle axle islodgeable in said detent notch. l

21. The combination with a toy railway car chassis for transporting anddischarging therefrom a toy vehicle, a table having pivotal support atopsaid car in a manner to be tiltable about a horizontal axis, detentmeans on said car constructed and arranged to block the path of saidvehicle in at least one directionof vehicle departure from said tablewhen the latter is in horizontal position, and motivating means on saidchassis operableto cause said table to be tilted about said pivotalsupport in a manner to cause said vehicle to be lifted above and there-'by freed from said detentmeans.

22. In a toy railway carfor transporting and discharging therefrom a toyvehicle, a car chassis, a table pivotally supported atop said carchassis in a manner to be tiltable about a horizontal axis, detent means.movably mounted on said chassis constructed and arranged to block thepath of said vehicle inat least one direction of vehicle departure fromsaid table when the latter is in horizontal position, and actuatingmeans on said chassis operable to motivate said detent means relative tosaid chassis in a mannerto cause said table to be tilted and saidvehicle to be lifted above and freed from said detent means.

23. The combination with a 'toy railway car I chassis for transportingand discharging therefrom a toy vehicle, a: table pivotally supportedatop said chassis in a' manner to be tiltable about a horizontal axis,detent means movably mounted on said chassis constructed and arranged toblock the path of said vehicle in at least one direction of vehicledeparture from said table when the latter is in horizontal position,actuating means on said chassis for motivating said detent means'andsaid table, and connections operatively associating said detent meanssaid table and said actuating means constructed and arranged to enablesaid actuating means to shift said detent means and said table topositions in which the vehicle is lifted above and becomes freed fromsaid detent means. 24. Toy freight delivering mechanism including incombination with a platform terminating at an edge elevated above itssurroundings, a fulcrumbase swiveled on'saidplatform to turn relativelythereto about a vertical axis, an elongated table adapted to serve as atemporary rest for a toy freight load to be delivered from saidplatform, and a fulcrum joint connecting said turnable fulcrum base andtable so'that' said table swings with the turning of said base between aposition in which the load delivering end portion of the table overliesand rests level on said platform to a pre-dumping position in which saidtable end portion is deprived of support by said platform and the weightof the toy freight load resting thereupon can cause said tableautomatically to tilt about said fulcrum joint from its said pre-dumpingposition to' a load dumping position thereby to'dump said load, saidtable being biased with respect to said fulcrum joint to swingautomatically-thereabout from its load dumping position to its originallevel when freed from said load. 25. Toy freight delivering mechanismincluding in combination with a platform terminating at an edge elevatedabove its surroundingsya fulcrum base swiveled on said platform to turnrelatively thereto about a vertical axis,'an elonplatform, and a fulcrumjoint connecting said turnable fulcrum base and table so that said tableswings with the turning of said base bctween a position in which theload delivering end portion of the table overlies and rests level onsaid platform to a pre-dumping position in-which said table end portionis deprived of support by said platform and the weight of the toyfreight load resting thereupon can cause said table auto matically totilt about said fulcrum joint from its said pre-dumping position to aload dumping position thereby to dump said load, the weight of saidtable alone being so distributed that said load delivering end portionof the table is lighter in weight than portions of the table on theopposite side of said fulcrum joint whereby when relieved of the weightof said load the table automatically tilts back to its original level.

26. Toy freight delivering mechanism includ ing in combination with aplatform terminating at an edge elevated above its surroundings, afulcrum bracket swiveled on said platform to turn relatively theretoabout a vertical axis located near said edge of the platform, anelongated table adapted to serve as a temporary rest for a toy freightload to be delivered from said platform, and a fulcrum joint connectingsaid bracket and table so that said table swings with said bracketbetween a position in which the load delivering end portion of the tableoverlies and rests on said platform to a position in which said tableend portion overhangs said edge of the platform, whereby said table endportion is deprived of support by said platform and the weight of thetoy freight load resting thereupon can cause said table automatically totilt about said fulcrum joint and dump said load, the weight of saidtable alone being so distributed that said load delivering end portionof the table is lighter in weight than portions of the table on theopposite side of, said fulcrum joint whereby when relieved of the weightof said load the table automatically tilts back to its original level.

27. In a toy railway car for transporting'a toy load object and causingthe latter to swing about in a horizontal plane relative to the car, thecombination of a car platform having an aperture, a turnable structurepivotally mounted on said platform including a turntable adapted tosupport the toy load object, a projection carried by said structureextending to below said platform through said aperture, and anelectromagnetically operated actuator mounted beneath said platform in amanner to slide in a straight path of travel and constructed andarranged to impel said projection in an arc of travel for caus ing saidstructure to swing about its pivot relative to said platform.

28. In a toy railway car for transporting a toy load object and causingthe latter to swing about in a horizontal plane relative to the car, thecombination defined in claim 27, in which the said actuator includes acam constructed and arranged to engage and impel said projection in anarc of travel while permitting relative sliding movement between saidcam and said projection.

29. In a toy railway car for transporting a toy load object and causingthe latter to swing into and become releasably locked in an objectiveposition relative to the said car platform, the combination defined inclaim 27, in which the said actuator includes a cam constructed andarranged to engage and impel said projection in an arc of travelextending partially crosswise the said straight path of actuator travel,said cam having a notch shaped and disposed to be found and entered bysaid projection while the latter is being impelled by the actuator andin a manner to lock said projection against movement relative to saidcam without locking said cam against movement relative to saidprojection, thereby to establish and maintain the said turntable in thesaid objective position until subsequently impelled therefrom throughreverse movement of said actuator.

RICHARD G. SMITH.

